Guardians Of The Galaxy (2020 series) #18

Continued from LAST ANNIHILATION: WAKANDA.

Dormammu has invaded this universe, replacing Ego The Living Planet with his own giant head and sending Mindless Ones to attack 5 planets. Hulkling and Wiccan have defended Hala of the Kree and Skrullos (of the Skrulls of course) with help from SWORD. The Intergalactic Empire Of Wakanda went to the aid of the Shi'ar's Aerie. And the Guardians Of The Galaxy are split between Spartax (of the Spartoi) and Chitauri Prime, which is where this issue opens.

Last issue Dormammu possessed all the Chitauri but Dr Doom sent an army of robots under his control against them. Now he leads his contingent of Guardians (Drax, Groot, Moondragon and Star-Lord) through a portal to the planet where he forms them into a mystic pentagram. (Apparently Gamora was supposed to be the 5th point of the diagram but she chose to go to Spartax last issue instead so Doom has to take her place.) Then he causes his 'bots to absorb all Dormammu's mystical power from the Chitauri and channel it into *him*.

Now we switch to Spartoi where Dormammu's much larger pentacle of planets enabled him to add a huge body to his planet-sized head (last issue again). Nova plans to rocket into him and punch his face. Gamora in her space-fighter refuses to let him go it alone. But then Doom's tactic kicks in and Big D feels his power waning. At the same time a strange-looking spacecraft warps in. Pilot Rocket Raccoon explains that it's a the really big gun he talked about (last issue) with a huge bullet made of Krakoa's antimagic mysterium (and delivered here by Manifold). (For the back-story on this see the CABLE: RELOADED 1-shot.)

Doom's 5 continue siphoning power from Dormammu himself. But now Doom sends the other 4 away. Groot and Star-Lord end up inside the gun-ship where Rocket has been joined by Gamora and Nova. Rocket explains this is all part the plan he and Doom cooked up, and he mentions that Drax and Moondragon have been sent to join Phyla-Vell (last seen with Hercules and Marvel Boy on Hala in the LA: WICCAN & HULKLING 1-shot). Gamora as gunner will aim the shot. Peter Quill grabs a handle to pour his elemental power into the gun. Nova is in the gun barrel to help accelerate the bullet to light speed. The 3 re-affirm their 'family' love. (Groot doesn't actually seem to have a role, and we never see why Drax and Moonie were required on Hala.)

They fire the bullet which punches through Dormammu's planet-sized head, banishing the weakened villain back to his Dark Dimension. The fragments of Ego (and the big body) form a new asteroid belt in the Spartax system (with a hint that his sentience may yet return).

And on Chitauri Prime Doom welcomes Sister Talionis (the Skrull whose ancient fire-cult enabled Dormammu to possess Ego in the 1st place (#13-15)). We learn that this was all part of *their* even-bigger plan. Her reward is control of the Chitauri which she plans to use to 'free' the Skrulls from their Alliance with the Kree. Doom has a very large amount of Dormammu's power bound in his armour, which he will use when the time is right. (Apparently he had also intended for Hulkling to lose his Sword Of Space, but it got mended in LA:W&H. And he hadn't unsettled the Krakoan mutant nation as much as he wanted (in SWORD #7).)

All that's left is an epilogue in Gosnell's Bar on Dolo-Mayan. The Guardians are all there, apart from Doom who Rocket is correctly suspicious of. Nova compares notes with Quasar (Wendell Vaughn). Hulkling and Wiccan smooch. Sober-these-days Hercules still intends to visit fun places with Marvel Boy. Heather and Phyla plan a 2nd honeymoon, and Storm invites them to Arakko (or Mars as we know it). The Galaxy's quiet and we leave everyone in a big celebratory full page panel. (Including the Prince of Power, Blackjack O'Hare, Mur'Gnn, Abigail Brand, Manifold, M'Baku, Super-Skrull, Mantis and a quantum-image of alternate Quasar Avril Kincaid.)